Pasty vehicle for artist&#39;s paint



Patented Apr. 29, 1952 PASTY VEHICLE FOR ARTISTS PAINT Bernhard J. Mellwig, Easton, Pa., assignor to Binney & Smith Company, Easton, Pa., and New York, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey.

No Drawing. Application December 28, 1948,

Serial No. 67,760

4 Claims. 1

This invention relates to a pasty vehicle for artists colors intended for both school and professional use.

At present oil colors are commonly used for art class instruction as well as professionally as a medium for commercial illustrations. Oils, however, have several disadvantages. They are relatively slow drying, requiring anywhere from one to two weeks for complete drying depending upon the thickness of the layer applied to the canvas. Furthermore, when oil-colors are employed in art classes a student must have at hand a considerable amount of paraphernalia, such as linseed oil, turpentine, drier, poppy oil and cloths for cleaning his brushes and palette; and, in order to attain the best results in oil, expensive sable brushesand canvases are also required. When it is considered that the art period in public schools is usually from forty minutes to one hour, of which probably fifteen minutes are consumed by the student in initially preparing his paints and afterwards, at the end of the period, in cleaning up, this leaves comparatively little time for actual class instruction. Also, the oil-saturated rags left behind in the classroom create a dangerous fire hazard.

It is an object of my invention to provide a pasty vehicle for artists paint which overcomes the above objections and which is ideally suited for paints for school use. More especially, the invention aims to provide a water-thinnable paint that can be squeezed from a tube directly onto the palette without requiring a drier or turpentine thinner, and which can be applied to a backing of stiff paper, cardboard or other cheap material having an adsorptive surface by means of an inexpensive bristle brush. The brushes at the end of the art period can be quickly and thoroughly cleaned of paint by whipping them in a jar of soapy water and the palette may be wiped clean by a wet cloth. Thus, not only are the colors more convenient to handle and easier to clean up than oils, but their use obviates any potential fire hazard. Because the paint of my invention is quick-drying, finished paintings can usually be removed from the classroom by the student as soon as the art period is over without riskin the danger of smearing the pictures or of soiling the hands or clothing.

For the student who plans to follow art as a career, my paint aifords an excellent medium for preliminary training since its use involves substantially the same technique as that of oils and the artistic effects obtainable are also very similar.

More particularly, my invention aims to provide an artists paint capable of being marketed iil sealed tubes or jars, and which comprises a pigment suspended in a pasty water-soluble vehicle consisting primarily of triethanclamine, a soap of the fatty acids, such as oleic, stearic or palmitic acid, starch, a carbohydrate-gum adhesive and water.

The following examples will illustrate the formulations included in the present invention:

Example I A paint vehicle was made comprising the following ingredients:

- Pounds Triethanolamine 10 Oleic acid 30 Starch 20 Dextrine l 25 Glycerine 5 Formaldehyde 3 Water In preparing the above product the cold water was placed in an open steam-jacketed kettle. The triethanolamine, dextrine and starch were added to the kettle and the contents agitated until the starch and dextrine were thoroughly dispersed in the cold Water. The mix was then gradually heated to degrees F. and held at this temperautre for about 20 minutes. While continuing the agitation, the oleic acid (red oil) was added and the agitation resumed until a heavy emulsion formed. The heating of the kettle was then discontinued and its contents allowed to stand until cold when it congealed into a thick paste. Then the formaldehyde was worked into the mass.

The starch used was a thin boiling starch for imparting smoothness and mixture-adhesive properties to the mass and also for bulking pur poses. Laundry or thick boiling starch alternatively may be used in which case the proportion of starch may be suitably reduced and the amount of dextrine increased to compensate for the resulting loss of adhesiveness of the emulsion. The starch may be prepared from potatoes, corn, rice or wheat, and it may be either unmodified or acid-treated or oxidized.

The dextrine was made from tapioca starch and its purpose is to enhance the adhesive properties of the vehicle and to cause it to better adhere to the base or backing to which applied.

The glycerine serves to preserve the plasticity and prevent drying out of the vehicle, while the formaldehyde acts as a preservative.

To 25 pounds of the above emulsion was added two pounds of an alkali-proof metallic pigment, chromium oxide, in a finely divided state, and the mass agitated in a vertical mixer for about ten minutes to obtain a preliminary dispersion of the pigment. Then the mass was run through a three-roller ink mill to attain a final and more thorough dispersion of the pigment in the vehicle. The resulting paint was of approximately the consistency of tooth paste and dried in from twenty to thirty minutes with a flat finish.

Example I I A paint vehicle was prepared according to the following formula:

Pounds Triethanolamine 18 Oleio acid -l 35 Starch 25 Gum arabic solution 30 Sorbitol Formaldehyde 3 Water 125 Into an open steam-jacketed kettle containing the cold water was deposited the triethanolamine, sorbitol, gum' arabic solution and thin boiling starch. The mass was agitated until the starch and other ingredients were thoroughly dispersed in the water. The temperature of the kettle was then gradually raised to a temperature of 180 degrees F. and there held for 20 minutes. Continuing the agitation, the oleic acid was slowly added and thoroughly emulsified and distributed throughout the mass. Afterwards the contents of the kettle were allowed to cool and the formaldehyde was added to the resulting thick paste.

According to this mode of preparation, the gum arabic solution (a 50 percent solution of gum arabic and. water) takes the place of the dextrine of the vehicle of Example I to impart adhesiveness to the emulsion. The 'sorbitol, somewhat less hygroscopic than glycerine, acts as a plasticizer in lieu of the glycerine in the vehicle of Example I.

A pigment, comminuted cobalt blue, was incorporated in the resulting pasty mass in approximately the same proportion and in substantially the same manner as described in connection with Example I. This paint dried with a semi-gloss, the gloss presumably being attributable to the gum arabic content.

Example III A paint vehicle of the following composition was prepared:

Pounds Triethanolamlne 8 Stearic acid 16 Starch 20 Gum arabic solution 24 Sorbitol 8 Formaldehyde 3 Water 100 gradually raised to 180 degrees, after which it was slowly added to the other kettle and the contents continually agitated until a smooth emulsion was formed. The heating of the kettle was then discontinued and the emulsion allowed to stand until cold, whereupon the formaldehyde was worked into the resulting pasty mass.

One pound of finely ground carbon black, as the pigment, was incorporated into twenty-five pounds of the foregoing :pasty vehicle in substantially the same manner as described in connection with Example 11. The resulting paint dried with a semi-gloss in from ten to fifteen minutes, the quicker drying time apparently being due to the presence of the stearic acid.

Example IV A paint vehicle composing the following ingredients was prepared:

. Pounds Triethanolamine 8 Palmitic acid l6 Starch Gum arabic solution 24 Sorbitol 8 Formaldehyde -1 3 Water The procedure for compounding the ingredients was essentially the same as that set forth under Example III. The characteristics of the paint were similar to that of Example III but not quite as satisfactory as a paint vehicle.

Example V A paint vehicle was prepared according to the following formula, in accordance wtih the methods of the foregoing examples:

Pounds Triethanolamine 8-18 Soap-forming fatty acid, such as oleic,

stearic or palmitic acid 16-35 Starch 20-25 Adhesive, such as dextrine or gum arabic solution 24-30 Polyhydric alcohol, such as glycerine or sorbitol 5-10 Aldehyde, such as formaldehyde 3-3.5 Water 100-125 Example VI A paint vehicle of the following ingredients was prepared:

Pounds Example V 25 Alkali-proof metallic pigments 2 Azo-reds Hansa yellow Benzidine Lamp black Bone black Phthalocyanine blue Carbon black Phthalocyanine green Cobalt blue Red iron oxide Titanium oxide Ultramarine blue Zinc white Chromium hydroxide Chromium oxide Earth pigments The paint is placed in tubes or jars and sealed against the atmosphere, ready for marketing.

The paint when used upon a backing of cardboard dries quickly (from twenty to thirty minutes in most cases) not only as the result of evaporation but also because a substantial portion of the water content is absorbed by the fibrous backing. The paint adheres firmly to the backing material, whether cardboard, wood or fabric, and may be applied by the brush or the spatula in generally the same manner as artists oil colors. Because the paint is water-soluble, it may be thinned with water to obtain a desired shade of color; and the brushes and palette may be cleaned quickly and tidily with soapy water. The paint may also be quickly removed from the hands and clothing simply by washing with soap.

The paint is virtually non-inflammable or burns only with difl'iculty, and does not require any supplementary preparations, such as turpentine, which are subject to the possible danger of spontaneous combustion. The paints are nontoxic and may be safely used by small children.

Other important characteristics of the paint of my invention is that it retains its original luster and color fidelity over long periods of time without cracking, fading or flaking. Furthermore, the finished picture after drying may be shellacked or varnished as an additional protection, although the paint after drying to hardness is difficultly soluble in water and consequently is not affected by the normally free moisture in the atmosphere.

The execution of paintings by means of my paints is greatly facilitated as compared with the use of oils since the same brush may be used for all colors, it being necessary only to clean the brush by stirring it in a glass of soapy water before changing from one color to another during the execution of a painting.

While the above-described paint is capable of satisfactory use upon any surface having moisture-absorptive power, best results are obtained by using a backing of casein-coated cardboard; and when painting on canvas, linen or other fabric, a ground coat of house paint, shellac or glue size desirably should be applied to the backing and allowed to dry before starting a painting. The same backing may be used over and over again simply by scraping off the paint with a spatula before the paint has completely hardened.

It is to be understood that the present invention embraces a water-soluble pasty paint vehicle for artists paint including the ingredients triethanolamine; soap-forming fatty acids, such as oleic, stearic and palmitic acids; starch; a carbohydrate-gum adhesive; polyhydric alcohol; and water, combined in such proportions and in such a manner as to form a paste, to which is preferably added an aldehyde, such as formaldehyde, as a preservative, with said paste having disbursed therein a pigment to give the paint the desired coloration.

While the above descriptions and examples are intended to illustrate the nature and principle of the artists colors of my invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto, but may be varied within the scope of the following claims.

What I claim is:

1. A water-soluble, pasty paint vehicle for artists paint comprising a soap of triethanolamine and oleic acid about 29 lbs., oleic acid about 11 lbs., starch about 20 lbs., dextrine about 25 lbs., glycerine about 5 lbs., formaldehyde about 3 lbs., and water about lbs.

2. A water-soluble, pasty paint vehicle for artists paint comprising a soap of triethanolamine and oleic acid about 52 lbs., oleic acid about 1 1b., starch about 25 lbs., gum arabic solution 50% solids about 30 lbs., sorbitol about 10 lbs., formaldehyde about 3%; lbs., and water about lbs.

3. A water-soluble, pasty paint vehicle for artist's paint comprising a soap of triethanolamine and stearic acid about 23 lbs., stearic acid about 1 lbs., starch about 20 lbs., gum arabic solution 50% solids about 24 lbs., sorbitol about 8 lbs., formaldehyde about 3 lbs., and water about 100 lbs.

4. A water-soluble, pasty paint vehicle for artists paint comprising a soap of triethanolamine and a soap-forming fatty acid about 23-52 lbs., soap forming fatty acid about 1-11 lbs., starch about 2025 lbs., carbohydrate gum about 24-30 lbs., a polyhydric alcohol of the group consisting of glycerine and sorbitol about 5-10 lbs., formaldehyde about 3-3.5 lbs., and water about 100-125 lbs.

BERNHARD J. MELLWIG.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 861,150 Wilson July 23, 1907 1,452,614 Olsen Apr. 24, 1923 1,867,382 Sampson July 12, 1932 2,346,968 Jeuck Apr. 18, 1944 2,385,793 Carman Oct. 2, 1945 2,401,666 Schmidt June 4, 1946 2,435,901 Peters Feb. 10. 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 157,676 Switzerland Jan. 2, 1933 431,275 Great Britain July 4, 1935 

4. A WATER-SOLUBLE, PASTY PAINT VEHICLE FOR ARTIST''S PAINT COMPRISING A SOAP OF TRIETHANOLAMINE AND A SOAP-FORMING FATTY ACID ABOUT 23-52 LBS., SOAP FORMING FATTY ACID ABOUT 1-11 LBS., STARCH ABOUT 20-25 LBS., CARBOHYDRATE GUM ABOUT 24-30 LBS., A POLYHYDRIC ALCOHOL OF THE GROUP CONSISTING OF GLYCERINE AND SORBITOL ABOUT 5-10 LBS., FORMALDEHYDE ABOUT 3-3.5 LBS., AND WATER ABOUT 100-125 LBS. 